Derek Christensen
asked
Andrew Rowe:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Since an enchanter can pull mana from other enchanted items why don't enchanters create magic items that are just a bunch of storage ruins and recharging ruins limited to not explode? then they can use the mana stores for enchanting other items and they will recharge themselves. Or is it not possible to pull mana from the storage ruin without destroying the charging ruin? (hide spoiler)]
Andrew Rowe
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Some spoilers for On the Shoulders of Titans below, as well as some discussion of content for future books.
That concept does exist in this setting, and it's referred to as a mana battery. Mana batteries definitely do exist, but they're not quite as useful for novice enchanters as they might sound.
Normally, if you're transferring mana from one item to another, you're briefly passing it through your body in the process. Mana is "impure" by default, and putting impure mana into your body can cause harm. Purification is an issue if you intend to run the mana through your body at all.
There are a few ways to work around this.
High level Enchanters can learn to purify mana. In book 1, Vellum says, "Even some Citrines cannot do this through their attunement alone." So, it's definitely a difficult skill to learn.
You could also get an attunement that specializes in purification, like the Arbiter attunement does.
You could also figure out a way to transfer mana between two objects without using your body as an intermediary. This is absolutely possible, and higher level Enchanters do it, but it's generally inefficient because mana disperses rapidly when it's not contained in something like a rune or a crystal.
The other major issue is transfer speed. In order to successfully charge a rune, you need to be able to fill it up completely in a limited time frame, which varies from rune-to-rune. Taking mana out of one rune to put it into another is slower than moving your own mana into a rune or moving it from a crystal, since you're effectively working against the rune's "resistance" to pull the mana out of it. This means that pulling all the mana out of it quickly enough to successfully charge another rune is challenging, and requires a higher degree of mana manipulation skill than most low-level Enchanters have.
In On the Shoulders of Titans, Corin's second attunement provides him with automatic mana purification as well as an improvement to his mana transfer speed. With these advantages, making things like low-level batteries may be possible. He would still have difficulty with, say, grabbing mana from several different low-level batteries to charge a high level rune - that's something he'd have to work toward in the longer-term.
Low level batteries are definitely on his list of things to make, he just has had more immediate needs to prioritize, since low level batteries don't have much immediate combat utility - they'd be more of a long-term investment. (hide spoiler)]
That concept does exist in this setting, and it's referred to as a mana battery. Mana batteries definitely do exist, but they're not quite as useful for novice enchanters as they might sound.
Normally, if you're transferring mana from one item to another, you're briefly passing it through your body in the process. Mana is "impure" by default, and putting impure mana into your body can cause harm. Purification is an issue if you intend to run the mana through your body at all.
There are a few ways to work around this.
High level Enchanters can learn to purify mana. In book 1, Vellum says, "Even some Citrines cannot do this through their attunement alone." So, it's definitely a difficult skill to learn.
You could also get an attunement that specializes in purification, like the Arbiter attunement does.
You could also figure out a way to transfer mana between two objects without using your body as an intermediary. This is absolutely possible, and higher level Enchanters do it, but it's generally inefficient because mana disperses rapidly when it's not contained in something like a rune or a crystal.
The other major issue is transfer speed. In order to successfully charge a rune, you need to be able to fill it up completely in a limited time frame, which varies from rune-to-rune. Taking mana out of one rune to put it into another is slower than moving your own mana into a rune or moving it from a crystal, since you're effectively working against the rune's "resistance" to pull the mana out of it. This means that pulling all the mana out of it quickly enough to successfully charge another rune is challenging, and requires a higher degree of mana manipulation skill than most low-level Enchanters have.
In On the Shoulders of Titans, Corin's second attunement provides him with automatic mana purification as well as an improvement to his mana transfer speed. With these advantages, making things like low-level batteries may be possible. He would still have difficulty with, say, grabbing mana from several different low-level batteries to charge a high level rune - that's something he'd have to work toward in the longer-term.
Low level batteries are definitely on his list of things to make, he just has had more immediate needs to prioritize, since low level batteries don't have much immediate combat utility - they'd be more of a long-term investment. (hide spoiler)]
More Answered Questions
Shay Kreiser
asked
Andrew Rowe:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[
Hey! love your work!
why did mizuchi help by eliminating all of those people in the ball?
other by being compelled by her summoner she also seemed to be willingly involved. presumably she is faithful to the visages which obviously have conflicting interests with her summoner's faction.. that really confuses me.
(hide spoiler)]
why did mizuchi help by eliminating all of those people in the ball?
other by being compelled by her summoner she also seemed to be willingly involved. presumably she is faithful to the visages which obviously have conflicting interests with her summoner's faction.. that really confuses me. (hide spoiler)]
Sebbanite
asked
Andrew Rowe:
Hi Andrew, I recently powered through some of your work and loved it. Can't wait for the 3rd installment for the arcane ascension series this year. Questions is what advice would you have for an individual who has the bucket list goal of wanting to write their own EPIC fantasy adventure web novel. Start practicing with short stories or just jump straight into it? Any good places to learn?
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